Will Somireddy break jinx to win Sarvepalli

Nellore: The TDP leader and Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, who faced consecutive defeat thrice from Sarvepalli Assembly constituency is now getting ready to contest for the fourth time.

In fact, the segment was a stronghold for Congress since 1955 where the party candidates won 8 times till now and the situation reverted from 1983 to 1999 polls where the TDP bagged the seat. The Congress candidate won both in 2004 and 2009 polls and now the YSRCP candidate is the sitting legislator.

Bezawada Gopala Reddy, a popular leader from Nellore, who served as Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra state between 1955 and 1956, got elected from this constituency. He also served as Minister in both Madras and Andhra governments. The tradition continued till 1978 polls and the influence of Telugu Desam started from 1983 when Chennareddy Penchala Reddy won on TDP ticket.

Only in 1989 polls, senior congress leader CV Sesha Reddy won from Sarvepalli. Somireddy, who is nephew of senior TDP leader and former Minister Nallapureddy Srinivasulu Reddy got elected from the constituency in 1994 and 1999 elections. But he was unsuccessful in 2004 and 2009 polls where Adala Prabhakar Reddy won the hearts of people as Congress candidate. Now, the battle is between Chandramohan Reddy and YSRCP sitting legislator Kakani Govardhan Reddy.

In 2014, there was tough fight between Kakani and Somireddy and finally Kakani won the polls. Further, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu gave berth in the cabinet by inducting him as MLC. For the fourth time, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy is contesting from the constituency. There were rumours earlier that Somireddy would shift to Nellore rural constituency, but the Chief Minister allotted the old constituency where he had prepared ground for the polls.

Somireddy has taken the elections very seriously and deputed his son Rajagopala Reddy for interacting with the local people, monitoring development activities and others on his behalf since he is busy with various responsibilities as cabinet minister. This time, he had focused on various long pending issues in the last five years and is confident of victory this time. Kakani Govardhan Reddy, an engineering graduate and basically contractor, who was associate of Anam family, differed and joined the opposition. He is now district convener of the YSRCP and sitting MLA of the constituency. He won over Somireddy in 2014 elections with a majority of 5,446 votes.

There has been political rivalry between both leaders, and it reached to a peak of personal animosity too due to various reasons where the sitting legislator Kakani levelled allegations against the Minister Somireddy on his alleged corruption and also criticising for amassing properties even in abroad.

The Minister lodged a complaint with the local police too. Analysts say there would be tough competition this time between two parties since the ruling party is showcasing various development activities and allocations to the pending projects in the constituency. Even though, there have been changes in the area due to reorganisation in 2009, personal issues are making the polls very prestigious.